Apollo Hospital Seeks Stay On Panel Probing J Jayalalithaa’s Death

Apollo Hospital today approached the Madras High Court seeking an interim stay on the proceedings of a panel probing the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

The hospital said the Justice Arumugasamy Commission, which is probing the death of Ms Jayalalithaa, is “prejudiced,” adding that the hospital will be subjected to “grave hardship and irreparable harm” if the proceedings are not stayed.

“The real danger of prejudice and bias is apparent in the manner in which the probe panel is conducting the examination of witnesses,” the petition filed by the hospital said.

The hospital said the Arumugasamy Commission is “prejudging the facts and has concluded prematurely that the hospital is at wrong.”

Apollo also accused the probe panel of acting beyond its jurisdiction and in lack of expertise to understand complex medical conditions.

Ms Jayalalithaa was taken to Chennai’s Apollo Hospital on September 22, 2016, and treated there for 75 days before she died on December 5.

Following her death, allegations of foul play began to do the rounds and state Forest Minister Dindigul Sreenivasan even claimed that all cabinet ministers had lied to the people about her hospitalisation and death.

In September 2017, Justice A Arumughaswamy was appointed to head the probe into the death of the former chief minister.

Over a year later, the hospital demanded that a medical board comprising doctors and medical professionals be set up to examine Ms Jayalalithaa’s medical records.

In an affidavit filed to the Arumughaswamy Commission, the hospital raised the demand citing that errors crept in due to the inability of a typist to comprehend and type correct medical terms.

Apollo Hospital said that words like “intubation” were recorded as “incubation” and other errors crept in.